TEFL Certification Requirements: Everything You Need To Know!

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TEFL, TESL, and TESOL!!! These three certifications are the top trending courses these days! You might have seen these words very often on your social media platforms, in the form of advertisements, or in suggestions of Facebook queries!

You must be very curious to know “After all, what are these certifications? Are all of them the same? What are the requirements for TEFL Certification? What are the requirements for TESOL Certification? And what are the requirements for TESL certification? Can I work abroad as an English Teacher with these certifications? “

Well! I am here to give all the answers to your queries related to today’s top trending courses like TESOL, TESL, and TEFL.

Let me assure you that this article is going to be quite insightful and will definitely guide you in the selection of your career path…

What are TESOL, TESL, and TEFL Certifications?

Image by Shaun F from Pixabay

Well, TESOL stands for Teaching English to speakers of other languages.

TESL stands for Teaching English as a Second Language, whereas, TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Now, we need to remember that even though the terms TESOL and TEFL differ in their meaning, most of the time, the course for TESOL and TEFL is termed as TESOL/TEFL Course.

• So, basically, TESOL is a general terminology for a course meant for teachers who want to teach English to non-native English speakers. Thus, both TESL and TEFL are two different types of courses are basically the types of TESOL Certification!

• TESOL is a much recent English Language course that blends the benefits of TESL and TEFL. And in other words, we can say that it is a more generalized term.

• TESOL allows you to teach English to Foreigners in the native English-speaking countries as well as in their home country.

• TESL on the other hand is a certification meant for teaching foreigners or Non-native speakers of English in Native English-speaking countries like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. It helps you to teach in countries like Canada, where English is the first language. It is an essential qualification to teach ESL students i.e. English as a Foreign Language Students.

Now, TEFL too is meant for the non-native speakers of English, but in their own country. So if you fulfil this degree, you will be able to teach abroad in non-English speaking countries. The main market of TEFL is China, South-East Asian countries like Thailand, the Philippines, The Middle East countries, and Latin American Countries.

 

While TESL is one of the essential qualifications for teaching English in Canada, the certifications TEFL and TESOL nowadays is the basic requirement for teaching abroad.

• Many companies term them as ‘TESOL/TEFL Course‘, as the course content of both these courses overlaps.

You can read more information here: TEFL Vs. TESOL: Making the Informed Decision .

 

Why is TEFL Course trending So much?

As I said earlier, TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. People who are passionate about going abroad for work admire this certification.

So, the following are some reasons why people prefer TEFL certification?

• Mostly the fresh college graduates who want to earn while learning, prefer TEFL, as it is one of the criteria for working as teaching English abroad or online.

• People who love visiting different parts of the world while working also love this course, as it provides them with the job opportunities for teaching English abroad.

• Many companies provide online teaching jobs for EFL or ESL teachers nowadays. So, it has become the choicest job among the people who want to work from their homes.

• Many candidates who opt for TEFL Certification are the ones who work as freelancers for two or more companies too! The best way to earn more money!

• The best part of the TEFL certification is that you can get it online also! So it is great for the English teachers who want to get a Certification that can fetch more opportunities for them!

• Candidates who wish to change their career, also like to go for TEFL Certification online, as it gives them the flexibility of learning while earning!

• It is also a chosen option by the women who want to restart their careers.

• People who prefer to have a work-life balance also go for TEFL Certification, as the job opportunities give them more flexibility. The working hours are quite limited, thus you can spend more time with your family or on your hobbies or studies!

So, do you also fit amongst any of the above-mentioned categories? Then certainly you should get yourself enrolled for the best accredited TEFL Course!

You would like to check-

TEFL Certification Course in Bangalore

Now, let’s come to the most important discussion in this article, i.e.

What Are the Requirements for TEFL Certification?

When I say the requirements for TEFL Certification, I mean the qualification or the Eligibility criteria for the TEFL Certification, as well as the other essential prerequisites needed for it.

So, Let’s see what they are the essential prerequisites for taking up the TEFL Course

• Age-Limit:You should have completed 18 years of your age

• Competition of High-school Certification: You should have completed the minimum educational qualification, i.e. Highschool certification.

• Proficiency in the English Language: Some TEFL Course providers also need you to have proficiency in the English Language, for which you might have to give a test or fill a relevant form.

• Fees for the Course: And of course, you should also have the money to pay the fees for the course.

• Some Other Requirements: Depending upon the TEFL Course provider company, the Relationship Manager will guide you through the other essential requirements if any.

So, now, let me take through some important know-hows before taking admission to a TEFL course and during the course:

Some Important Tips While Taking an Admission to a TEFL Course

• You need to take care of a few essential things before joining the TEFL Course:

You need to do thorough research about the best TEFL Certification Courses so that you select the one which is accredited and provides you with job support too!

• The most important factor to determine the quality of the TEFL course is the number of hours of the Course duration. The good accredited TEFL course is a minimum of 100 hours to a maximum of 160 hours duration.

• Depending upon whether you have chosen an offline or online TEFL Certification course, you need to attend the course at the scheduled time.

• You need to keep in mind that if you are a working professional, it would be advisable to go for an online TEFL Certification. Also, go for a weekend batch, as it would be more convenient for you.

• In the case of an offline course, the communication with the trainer is very easy; which may not be the case with an online TEFL course. So you need to confirm the modes of communication with the trainer beforehand.

• Once the course begins, make sure that you convey your thoughts, queries, and responses to the trainer well. Because proper interaction with the trainer is the key to your successful completion of the TEFL certification.

• Please ask clearly about the mode of payment. Confirm if the mode of payment is entirely at the beginning of the course, or if the instalment facility is available.

• As far as possible, attend all your lectures and if at all any of the lectures are missed, see to it, that you study using the recorded video modules of your online TEFL Certification course.

Now since you have seen the requirements of TEFL certification, you may also have questions related to the requirements for teaching English jobs abroad too.

Also check-TEFL certification course in Mumbai

What Are Some Misconceptions About TEFL Certification?

There might be some misconceptions about the entry to the TEFL course, which are:

• You need a graduate degree for admission to the TEFL course.

• You need to qualify degree in English literature.

• The online TEFL Certification is not as relevant as the offline TEFL Certification.

So, let me tell you, that these are only misconceptions and nothing more than that!

• So, you can definitely get an entry even without a graduate degree and just based on your high school credentials!!

• You do not need to qualify in English Literature!

• And very importantly, the online TEFL courses are as relevant as the offline ones, as far as they are properly accredited and with a duration of more than 120 hours!

But I have Read that CELTA Needs Something More!

Yes, you have read it correctly!

Indeed, there are not many requirements for admission to a TEFL course. However, the requirements for admission to the CELTA course are more precise than the TEFL course! You might be thinking what this CELTA means!

 

So, the full-form of CELTA is- Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. Just as TESOL, CELTA too is useful for people who want to teach English to Speakers of other Languages.

 

Well, you may have started thinking that how exactly does it differ from TESOL?

So, the answer to this question is that it is equivalent to TESOL, but the only difference is that it is affiliated with Cambridge University. Thus, it is costlier than normal TESOL or TEFL Certification.

 

But, the value of CELTA and TEFL in the job markets remains the same! But nobody can’t deny these two things:

• CELTA is a trending course, for people who want a long-term career in English teaching in their home countries and abroad.

• It is preferred by the people who can attend their person-person or blended learning classes since it is not completely online!

So, the requirements for the admission to the CELTA course are as follows:

• You will be interviewed by the CELTA program provider company.
• You will have to submit a written application.
• Furthermore, you need to submit Academic transcripts
• Also, you need to provide a piece of identification

Now, as you have understood the requirements for the TEFL Certification, let’s see the Requirements of the Career in teaching English abroad/ online.

Kindly check-TEFL Certification course in Hyderabad

Requirements for the Career in Teaching English as a Second/ Foreign Language

While there are no stringent requirements for admission to the TEFL course, there are a few necessities for Teaching English to ESL or EFL students.

 

• TEFL Certification: The primary requirement of the job as an EFL or ESL teacher abroad or online is having an accredited certification of TEFL/TESOL from a good course provider. A well-accredited TEFL course class gives you the classroom management skills as well as the confidence to impart valuable knowledge to your pupils. It is also required or highly preferred for most job opportunities.  TEFL certification is a stepping stone towards your career as an ESL/ EFL teacher abroad or online.

• Native English Speaking: Most of the schools want their ESL/ EFL teachers to be native English speakers as they want to be assured of the speaking skills of their teachers.

• English Proficiency: But no need to worry, as there are many schools and companies which consider non-native English-speaking teachers too, based on the other factors like the English language proficiency, relevant degree, teaching experience, etc.

• A Graduate Degree: A very few EFL/ESL teaching companies need their teachers to have any degree and very few want their teachers to have a degree in English or linguistics. While a few companies do not even need teachers to have a graduate degree.

• A Degree in Education: Some companies also need their teachers to have a degree in education.

• A Valid Teaching Experience: Some schools and ESL/ EFL teaching companies also expect their teachers to have relevant teaching experience, though it is not a mandatory requisite by all the companies.

And last but not the least

Visa: In case you have got a job as an online ESL/EFL teacher, you need not worry about the visa. But, if you have got an opportunity as an ESL/EFL teacher to teach abroad, then yes! You should definitely consider all the aspects of the visa.

 

You need to clarify the following things from your employer

Must read:TOP 20 ONLINE COMPANIES TO TEACH ENGLISH ABROAD IN 2021

Takeaways

So, after going through all the requirements of the TEFL certification as well as an EFL/ESL teacher, have you started thinking this:

Yes, I feel that this certification and job are perfect fit for me!!

Then what are you waiting for?

Enroll in the best TEFL certification today itself!!

Remember the following things:

1. TEFL certification is one of the trending courses these years.
2. Take an accredited TEFL Course.
3. Most of the accredited TEFL courses need the basic criteria as a high-school qualification. But the companies prefer their ESL/EFL teachers to hold a graduate degree.
4. Please do a thorough study before joining a TEFL course and maintain maximum communication with the TEFL trainer, so smoothen your journey in the learning.
5. Select an appropriate job based on your criteria, an English teaching job abroad or as an online English tutor.
6. While beginning a new job to clarify the things like the type of visa, the duration of the contract if any, the cost of the visa, the documents needed, and finally, calculate the cost you have to bear and the savings you are going to make!

So, friends, keep learning and keep earning, never stop yourself from doing the things you love!

See you soon with another topic!

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